Computer and/or networking systems, such as those used in data center environments or central office environments, often utilize rectangular-shaped metal boxes or cases for housing computer equipment. These cases are often stacked on shelves, racks, or cabinets in a relatively small area, whereby network equipment, such as routers, firewalls, servers, and other computer equipment, can communicate with each via bundles of cables. One issue that arises in these environments is that these systems often generate enough heat to damage sensitive electronic components. Thus, the boxes or housings often include one or more fans and/or other associated air flow components for moving air through the devices, thereby air-cooling the components to prevent overheating.
With air flowing through these housings, it is often desirable to also address the issue of exposing the electronic components to large amounts of dust. Since dust can affect the functionality of this equipment, it is often desirable to include air-filtration systems for filtering the air that is moved throughout the structures.
In addition to air-flow and air-filtering concerns, it may be beneficial to design the boxes for housing this networking equipment such that the boxes can be used in both a data center environment and a central office environment. However, air-flow and air-filtering systems are typically different in these two environments. For example, data center equipment may be used in clean rooms that do not require air filtering at the box or rack level. In some cases, air filtering can be done at a cabinet level with air filtering on the whole front surface of the cabinet. This requires the equipment to be placed in a cabinet and excludes the use of open frames. In a central office environment, it may be desirable to seal the system at a shelf level in a type of frame where the computer apparatus is configurable/removable to allow various combinations of components to be used when needed.
Front-to-rear air-cooled boxes with perforated faceplates for air inlet can be filtered at the perforation location if there are no removable cards. Otherwise, small air filters need to be provided for every card. The frame of an air filter may also pose a problem because it can block most of the card air inlet if it is placed at a card level.
Traditional central office type boxes may have air flow with a front bottom inlet and a top rear exhaust, which allows air entering at the bottom of the box to be filtered by a horizontally oriented air filter. Cables of such a system can be inserted through a front surface of the box and do not interfere with the air path. Central office equipment requires air filtering to be compliant with Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) standards.
A front-to-rear air flow system that moves air from a front of the box to the rear of the box often includes an air filter near the front of the box. However, since these networking systems are typically configured such that cables exit through the front of these boxes, another issue arises in which air is filtered where the cables would normally exit.
Therefore, there is a need for boxes or housing having front-to-rear cooled systems which can be used in both central office and data center environments, which include proper air filtering for NEB S compliance, and whereby the cable exit paths do not interfere with the location of air flow and air filtering systems.